Bugis community urges DR M to apologise over pirate remarks

PUTRAJAYA: The Bugis community in Malaysia today demanded that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad apologise and retract his statement which allegedly described the Bugis people as pirates.
The call was made by Persatuan Perpaduan Rumpun Bugis Melayu Malaysia (PPRBMM), an association representing the Bugis community, which held a peaceful gathering in front of the Perdana Leadership Foundation builidng here to protest the statement.
"Police reports will be lodged throughout the country if Dr Mahathir refuses to withdraw his statement and apologise for hurting the feelings of the Bugis community which has long been a part of Malaysian society.
"The racist statement is unacceptable and we will make sure the entire Bugis community does not support Dr Mahathir and his party when the time comes," he told reporters after the half-hour-long gathering.
The peaceful gathering was held following Dr Mahatihir's speech as chairman of Pakatan Harapan during the rally by the opposition in Petaling Jaya on Saturday, where he is alleged to have said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak might have descended from Bugis pirates and should go back to the Bugis community in Indonesia. — Bernama